Treatment

Surgery to remove all or part of the kidney (nephrectomy) is usually recommended. This may include removing the bladder, surrounding tissues, or lymph nodes. A cure is unlikely unless all of the cancer is removed with surgery. But even if some cancer is left behind, there is still benefit from surgery.

Chemotherapy is generally not effective for treating kidney cancer in adults. The immune system medicines interleukin-2 (IL-2) or nivolumab may help some people. Medicines that target the development of blood vessels that feed the tumor may be used to treat kidney cancer. Your provider can tell you more.

Radiation therapy is usually done when the cancer spreads to the bone or brain.

Support Groups

You can ease the stress of illness by joining a support group whose members share common experiences and problems.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Sometimes, both kidneys are involved. The cancer spreads easily, most often to the lungs and other organs. In about one third of people, the cancer has already spread (metastasized) at the time of diagnosis.

How well someone with kidney cancer does depends on how much the cancer has spread and how well treatment works. The survival rate is highest if the tumor is in the early stages and has not spread outside the kidney. If it has spread to the lymph nodes or to other organs, the survival rate is much lower.